Announcements

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Offering up to $206 Million in Research Support

Posted on February 5, 2014 at 4:42pm

PCORI Issues Funding Announcements Offering Up To $206 Million in Research Support

We’re pleased to announce our latest round of research funding opportunities, offering up to $206 million to support comparative effectiveness research (CER) designed to answer the health and healthcare questions of greatest concern to patients and other healthcare stakeholders.

Up to $20 million to fund up to two trials comparing obesity treatment options - such as dietary counseling, increased physical activity, and behavioral therapy - in primary care settings. Because low-income, minority, and rural individuals experience higher rates of obesity, this PFA focuses on how well these options help these underserved populations lose weight.

Up to $15 million to fund a comprehensive study to determine which clusters of transitional care services work best at reducing preventable hospital readmissions and improving outcomes among at-risk patients, such as those with multiple chronic illnesses. The study will also determine which of these services are most effective in various healthcare settings and payment contexts.

Up to $81 million for the Spring 2014 Cycle of funding under our five broad National Priorities for Research. This includes $5 million, through our funding announcement on improving methods, for studies focused on the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) of the National Institutes of Health.

The deadline for required Letters of Intent for each of these PFAs is 5 p.m. (ET) Friday, March 7. LOIs for the pragmatic studies, transitional care, obesity, and improving methods PFAs will be reviewed for how well they fit with our programmatic goals; applicants will be notified whether they are invited to submit full applications. Information on other key dates is included in each PFA.

We’ll host informational town hall and training webinars for interested applicants in February and March. More information is available here.

Applicants for these new funding opportunities will find a number of changes and improvements in our application process, including greater clarity about the types of studies we are and are not seeking, guidance on how to note adherence to PCORI methodology standards within the research plan, and new resources to guide the development of required engagement plans indicating how patients and other stakeholders will be meaningfully involved in the research project. Find out more about these in a new blog post by our Science and Contracts Management teams.

These PFAs are part of a dramatic increase in the amount of funding we’re investing in patient-centered CER starting this year and, with the first call for large pragmatic studies proposals, a broadening of the types of studies we’ll support. You can find out more about these initiatives in a new blog post by PCORI Executive Director Joe Selby, MD, MPH.

We appreciate your interest in PCORI and hope you’ll explore all these opportunities and consider applying.